NASA SUPER GUPPY TRANSPORT SYSTEM

The NASA Super Guppy is the LARGEST aircraft in the world (in girth that is) and has been used to support almost every major Program NASA has had. It has been said that without the use of the Super Guppy we would NOT have beaten Russia to the moon during the "Space Race" years.

NASA Loadmaster - Although my primary job at NASA was as Lead Loadmaster for the SGT and the new Constellation Program my official duty title was Traffic Management Specialist. I coordinated movement by air, rail, ship and over the road of NASA hardware. I also was in charge of contractor oversight and management, leasing of aircraft to support ISS, Shuttle, emergency relocation of NASA personnel, contract management and the Logistics Budget.

Traffic Management Specialist - My job between SGT moves was often filled with site surveys, ensuring equipment availability and performance, meetings and conferences discussing the design requirements for transportation of the new space program elements including rockets boosters, crew capsule, fairings, heat shields, etc. All these items require safe movement between development, testing and launch locations. Additionally, daily operations at NASA often required the use of our Rigging and Heavy Hauling Team which I also provided oversight for. NASA has a rare need to lift extremely expensive and many times one-of-a-kind items with or directly over human personnel. The planning and strict adherence to safety is unparalleled anywhere else.

Space Flight Hardware - When moving equipment that will one day take a human into space everything involved is VERY INVOLVED...lol Many times I was contacted by the Shuttle or ISS programs to provide documentation on the movement of flight hardware as far back as 20 or more years ago. All cargo carried aboard the SGT has been meticulously documented and tracked. Much of the space flight hardware was connected to computers monitoring everything from temperature to g-forces sustained during taxi, takeoff and landings.